Close friends, says Somare family

THE family of the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare has paid tribute to his “close friend”, the late Sir Rabbie Namaliu, saying their bond lasted their lifetimes.
A statement from the family yesterday said: “Time and events might have tested their relationship but the bond of the formative years of pre-Independence and later post-Independence would last their lifetimes.
“The two men remained close friends their entire lives.
“We thank the family of the late Sir Rabbie Namaliu for the contributions of your late brother and father, to our country.
“We also thank you for the friendship and loyalty your brother and father, showed towards the late Sir Michael Somare up until the end of his life. Our sincere and deep condolences to the family of the late Sir Rabbie Namaliu: his brother Robinson and the children Joy, Isaac, Rabbie Junior, Aaron, Lorna and Hellen.”
Sir Michael’s daughter, Betha, who released the statement on behalf of Lady Veronica and the Somare family, said Sir Rabbie’s relationship with Sir Michael began before Independence in 1975.
She said a young Rabbie Namaliu came to support Sir Michael who was the chief minister at that time and was preparing to take over the public service, and gradually the administration of the territories of Papua and New Guinea.
Sir Rabbie was recruited as the principal private secretary to the Chief Minister’s Office from 1972 until 1974.
He was among the young student leaders at the University of Papua New Guinea handpicked to assist in the new administration of the territories.
In 1987, Sir Rabbie replaced Sir Michael as the new leader of the Pangu Pati.
That same year, through a vote of no confidence, he became Prime Minister.

A humble, realistic man: Polye

KANDEP MP Don Polye has described the late Sir Rabbie Namaliu as a humble, realistic and conscientious person.
Polye, the Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology minister, recalls the first time he met Sir Rabbie while a student leader at the University of Technology (Unitech) in Lae in 1987.
“My path crossed with Sir Rabbie when I represented the country’s tertiary student body on students’ pocket allowances, the Bougainville crisis, and students’ ethnic clashes,” Polye said.
“I got elected by the people of Kandep in 2002 after unsuccessfully contesting two general elections.
“I met Sir Rabbie again, but this time in Parliament when he was serving the people of Kokopo in 2002.”
Polye said Sir Rabbie made every effort to “live above blemish”.
“He believed in himself as one that should set the standard, free of compromise and blemish,” he said.
“(He) supported and strengthened the State’s systems of governance and the institutions of delivery and the rule of law.

Marape says Sir Rabbie a great statesman

Prime Minister James Marape has described the late Sir Rabbie Namaliu as a great statesman.
“Papua New Guinea has lost a great statesmen who served as the fourth Prime Minister from 1988 to 1992, and as leader of the Pangu Pati,” he said.
“He had a distinguished career in the public service, in academia, politics and business.
“I join with family, friends, people of East New Britain and Papua New Guinea in mourning the passing of Sir Rabbie.
“We will have a State funeral befitting a former Prime Minister and national leader,” Marape said.

G-G describes Sir Rabbie as man of honour

GOVERNOR-General Sir Bob Dadae has described the late former Prime Minister Sir Rabbie Namaliu as a proud Papua New Guinean.
Sir Rabbie Namaliu passed away on Friday at his home in Kokopo, East New Britain, after a short illness.
Sir Bob described Sir Rabbie as “a man of honour and great dignity” with outstanding leadership during his term as prime minister.
“Sir Rabbie was one of our country’s finest leaders and senior statesmen,” he said.
“His career in the public service began before independence.
“He was one of the few Papua New Guineans who put together public service policies as well as the national Constitution.
“Sir Rabbie was passionate about upholding the law, especially the Constitution.”
He said he was honoured in 2020 to be in the company of former prime ministers Sir Rabbie, Sir Julius Chan and Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare in New Ireland.
“Each of these great men had a left a lasting impression on me,” he said.
“For Sir Rabbie, I was honoured by the presence of a man of great dignity, a proud Tolai and above all, a passionate and proud Papua New Guinean and senior statesman.
“Lady Emeline joins me in conveying to the immediate family and people of East New Britain our condolences.”

Sir Rabbie sick for weeks after travel: Brother

By ROSELYN ELLISON
THE late former Prime Minister Sir Rabbie Namaliu’s family was arranging to bring him to a Port Moresby hospital from Kokopo when he passed away on Friday, his younger brother Jack Namaliu says.
He said Sir Rabbie had a kidney problem which doctors said should be treated in Port Moresby.
The people of Raluana in Kokopo and East New Britain as a whole are mourning Sir Rabbie, 77, from Raluana.
Jack said he died around 4pm on Friday, after being sick for the past four weeks after returning from Western where he attended a meeting by the PNG Sustainable Development Programme and visited some projects there.
“When he returned to Kokopo, he started feeling sick,” Jack said. “After a week, I told him that I will organise a doctor to come and check him. But he didn’t want us to go and see the doctor.
“I checked with him again the following week and this time he agreed for us to get one private doctor.”
Jack said doctors tried to stabilise his condition to allow him to travel on a plane to Port Moresby.
“We were shocked when he passed away.”
Sir Rabbie was born in April 1946 at Vatnabar in the Duke of York Islands when his father Darius and mother Joan worked as missionaries for the United Church there.
His father brought him back to Kokopo to start his education at the Raluana Primary School, then the Vunamami Farmers Training Centre.
Sir Rabbie completed his secondary education at Kerevat in 1966.
He was supposed to go with others to the New South Wales University but was told to attend the University of PNG with other pioneer student.
In 1970, he graduated with a degree in political science and history.
In 1971, he was given a scholarship to attend the University of British Colombia in Canada. He completed his master degree programme within two years there.
He was asked by United Nations to work for them but his father told him to return home to help Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare secure independence for PNG.
Sir Rabbie became a lecturer at UPNG, and later worked as Sir Michael’s principal private secretary in the late 70s.
He was later appointed the district commissioner for ENB.
He entered Parliament in 1982 as the Kokopo MP.
He held that seat for five consecutive terms.
In 1988, he became the fourth Prime Minister of PNG.
His cousin Andrew Ilam said Sir Rabbie refused to return to politics afterwards.
“He was the fourth PM of PNG, but for us at Raluana, Kokopo and ENB, he was the first,” Ilam said.
He is survived by six children. His first wife died after they had two children (sons).
His second wife from Vunamami bore him four children.
Sir Rabbie was the eldest of seven siblings – three brothers and four sisters.
The family wants him to be buried at Raluana, as he wished, near the grave of his first wife.

Sir Rabbie, a one-of-a-kind Papua New Guinean: Sir J

NEW Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan has described Sir Rabbie Namaliu as a one-of-a-kind Papua New Guinean.
“He was a very cool, calm and collected leader, and naturally classed as a true gentleman by anyone who had the good fortune of meeting him,” said Sir Julius, who was in Brisbane for a medical check-up when he heard of Sir Rabbie’s passing on Friday.
He said Sir Rabbie was among distinguished Tolai leaders including Oscar Tammur Snr, Sir Paulias Matane, Sam Piniau, Dr Alan Marat and Sir John Kaputin.
Sir Julius said Sir Rabbie was a distinguished academic in the field of history, a top public servant who ran the public sector in the years after Independence.
Sir Rabbie was first elected into Parliament as member for Kokopo in 1982.
He served as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade from 1982 to 1984 and held other ministries including Primary Industry, and Petroleum and Energy before being elected prime minister from 1988 to 1992.
He served briefly as Opposition Leader in 1988 before becoming Prime Minister.
He was Speaker of Parliament between 1994 and 1997.
“He became PM at the country’s most challenging period, during the beginning of the Bougainville crisis,” Sir Julius said.
Sir Julius said many would remember Sir Rabbie as a born-diplomat when he was Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister from August 2002 to July 2006.
He was also Minister for Treasury from July 2006 to August 2007.
Sir Julius said Sir Rabbie was a very warm, intelligent and committed Papua New Guinean who easily gained the confidence of society at large.
“We have lost one of our finest.”

Sir Rabbie stood up as PM during unrest, says Toroama

AUTONOMOUS Bougainville Government President Ishmael Toroama says the late Sir Rabbie Namaliu admitted the mistake he made during an unrest, and was remorseful.
“For a long time, Sir Rabbie was blamed by many for escalating the Bougainville civil war after ordering the deployment of the PNG Defence Force onto Bougainville during his tenure as prime minister in the early 1990s,” Toroama said.
He said Sir Rabbie’s efforts to restore peace and order on Bougainville by deploying security forces there only strengthened the resolve of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA), which resulted in intense fighting and loss of lives on both sides.
“(He was) the only former prime minister and national leader from the period of unrest who accepted responsibility for his role in the civil war,” Toroama said.
During the first phase of national reconciliation between the BRA and PNG Security Forces in 2020, he was remorseful and admitted that the greatest mistake of his political career was deploying troops to Bougainville.
“As President of Bougainville and former commander of the BRA, the admission by Sir Rabbie earned the forgiveness of the people of Bougainville,” he said.
“Seldom has a leader of Sir Rabbie’s calibre admitted in public his role in decisions that caused a genocidal war that resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of lives and destroyed a generation of people.
“His humility and sincerity as a leader is recognised by the people of Bougainville.
“His courage was admirable and his loyalty and service to PNG unquestionable.”